Chief aim is getting North back to negotiations: Washington
South Korea and the United States have agreed to hold five-way talks if North Korea continues to boycott the six-party talks on its nuclear program. Since the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution against Pyongyang on July 15 following the North’s test launch of several missiles, the possibility that North Korea could be coaxed to return to the six-party talks remains slim. The talks have been at a standstill since November last year, when the North expressed its anger at U.S. economic sanctions placed against it.Chun Yung-woo, Seoul’s chief delegate to the nuclear negotiations, and his Washington counterpart, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, told reporters in Washington on July 17 that they agreed they would push ahead with five-way talks in order to break a stalemate involving the six-nation talks and to maintain the momentum of the negotiations. Chun said, "At the five-party talks, we will not discuss how to pressure the North, but will discuss how to improve the structure and operation of the six-way talks in connection with ways to conduct the September 19 joint statement." The agreement signed on September 19, 2005 between the six nations was seen as a major breakthrough in the negotiations, as it laid out a framework for the removal of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. Regarding whether or not China, the North’s closest ally, will agree to hold the five-way talks without North Korea, "Beijing seems to have [demonstrated] more flexibility in the past few days, so we will continue to have consultations with them," Chun said. Hill remarked that the six-party talks are the best option, but to hold the five-way talks is better than nothing. He said the five-party talks would include discussion of ways to restart the six-nation negotiations. Hill stressed that the aim of the five-party talks would be to strengthen the diplomatic process, and said there would be no time limit on the negotiations sans Pyongyang. Discussion on the five-way talks is expected to be made in detail when U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visits South Korea, China, and Japan next week and the 13th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) opens in Malaysia on July 26-28. Hill brushed off the possibility of his visiting Pyongyang, saying that if Pyongyang returns to the six-party talks, the U.S. and the North would be able to have bilateral dialogue. Hill had been invited by the North several months prior to the missile crisis. Regarding the possibility of imposing additional sanctions on North Korea, Hill said that the U.N. Security Council resolution clarifies how the members of the Council wish to proceed. Washington will closely consider how to step up its efforts to faithfully carry out the resolution, he said.
